Designing and Implementing an Effective Tobacco Counter-Marketing Campaign 

Chapter 6 

Managing and Implementing 

Your Counter-Marketing Program 

I won’t kid you; pulling all the pieces together is hard 

work. But it works. And when you look back and realize 

your efforts have impacted not only individual behavior 

but the culture as a whole, you’ll know it was worth 

the effort. 

—	 Colleen Stevens, Tobacco Control Section, 

California Department of Health Services 

In This Chapter
 

• Setting Up Your 

Counter-Marketing 

Team 

• Selecting 

Contractors 

• Developing an 

Annual Marketing 

Plan 

To have a successful counter-marketing program, you’ll need to have the right 

team and set up the right processes to implement your program and keep it on 

track. Whether your budget is $100,000, $25 million, or anything in between, 

the steps are the same. Each step is described in detail in this chapter. 

Setting Up Your Counter-Marketing Team 

Finding the appropriate mix of people and expertise may be the most important thing you do. To implement your program, you’ll need to establish 

four groups: 

1. 	 Health department staff to develop and monitor activities 

2. 	 Communication agencies, communication specialists, or both, to 

develop and place ads, create public relations campaigns, plan events, 

and conduct other activities 

3. 	 An evaluation firm or staff to monitor and measure the results of your efforts 

• Reviewing Marketing 

Materials 

• Monitoring the 

Counter-Marketing 

Budget 

Chapter 6: Managing and Implementing Your Counter-Marketing Program 143 
4. 	 Community stakeholders, whose support 

is critical, to provide input on various elements of the program 

Health Department Staff 

Staffing will vary depending on your budget 

and timeline, but you need at least one person 

dedicated to counter-marketing activities. Even 

with a small budget, you must have a skilled 

person to work with the news media, develop 

and distribute materials, and plan tobacco 

control events with community groups. 

If your program has a large budget, you 

should consider several counter-marketing 

staff positions: 

■	 Marketing director—oversees the entire 

counter-marketing program 

■	 Advertising manager—manages the 

work of the ad agency 

■	 Press secretary—handles press relations 

and works with your public relations 

firm 

■	 Manager of community relations and 

local programs—works with stakeholders and health organizations throughout 

your state 

■	 Evaluator—manages evaluation of 

counter-marketing activities 

■	 Financial manager—reviews bills and 

monitors financial aspects of contracts 

Some of these positions, such as the finance 

manager and the evaluator, may be shared 

within the larger tobacco control program or, 

in some states, within the larger chronic disease program. In your program, you may use 

different job titles, but the functions will be the 

same as the positions described here. 

Each key position will need support staff if 

you’re implementing a large program. The 

counter-marketing staff should have experience or credentials in health communication, 

advertising, marketing, journalism, or related 

areas. Experience with other health-related 

campaigns or communication programs in the 

state is also extremely helpful. 

If you’re limited in the number of staff you can 

hire, consider contracting with consultants. 

They can help you to manage separate aspects 

of your program. For example, you may hire an 

advertising expert to help you monitor the 

development and production of ads. 

If the staff is small, typically all of the countermarketing staff members report to the tobacco 

control program manager. If the staff is large 

like the one listed above, the advertising manager, press secretary, and others would report 

to the marketing director, who would report to 

the overall program manager. 

The program manager is responsible for ensuring that the counter-marketing program and 

all other program elements support each other 

and reinforce the larger state tobacco control 

effort. Counter-marketing is one part of a comprehensive tobacco control program, and your 

communication effort must be integrated with 

the overall program. For example, if the state’s 

144 Chapter 6: Managing and Implementing Your Counter-Marketing Program 
Designing and Implementing an Effective Tobacco Counter-Marketing Campaign 

tobacco control program focuses on prevention of smoking among youth, the countermarketing effort should focus on messages 

and interventions for youth and secondary 

audiences that influence youth. 

You’ll probably also need to coordinate with 

other health department staff and state government staff, such as the governor’s and the 

health department’s communication teams. 

Appropriate political officials and their staff 

should be kept abreast of your program’s 

initiatives, as well as its opposition. Some of 

these political officials may need to answer for 

the program, so you should be proactive in 

keeping them up to date, especially on newsworthy issues. If they support the tobacco control program, they can be strong allies. Even if 

they don’t support the program, you need to 

keep them updated on what you’re doing and 

why (i.e., how the initiatives contribute to the 

program’s overall goals). “Keeping people in 

the loop can be a constant balancing act,” says 

one state program director. “It is important to 

let people know what is happening with the 

program and to get input on various issues or 

ideas. However, ‘too many cooks’ may turn 

your campaign into a vanilla, politically correct, ineffective one.” 

Finally, your campaign should be coordinated 

with local program activities. Ideally the campaign should complement and reinforce 

programs “on the ground.” Coordinate with 

local tobacco control programs, especially 

media programs. Involve them in planning, 

and let them know when you plan to launch 

various activities. 

Communication Agencies 

Creating a comprehensive counter-marketing 

program requires a variety of specialized skills. 

These skills include selecting, producing, and 

placing ads; working with the media; planning 

large events; and coordinating grassroots 

activities. To create professional-quality communications, you’ll probably need to hire one 

or more communication firms. 

For its national “truth” campaign, the 

American Legacy Foundation works with 

several media firms: two general market ad 

agencies, a PR agency, an events firm, and a 

Web design company, along with agencies that 

focus on specific populations, such as African 

Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics/ 

Latinos, and Native Americans; the gay, lesbian, 

bisexual, and transgender community; and 

people of low socioeconomic status. However, 

the budget for Legacy’s media campaign is 

higher than the budget for any single state’s 

tobacco control program. A state typically 

couldn’t afford and wouldn’t need the number 

of agencies Legacy hired. The main point is 

that a comprehensive counter-marketing program has many elements, and each one is very 

time consuming and requires the expertise 

that agencies and individuals specializing in 

communications can bring. If your program’s 

budget is moderate to large, you may be able 

to hire agencies or individual consultants in 

several of the categories listed here, but for less 

of their time than the American Legacy 

Foundation would require. 

Chapter 6: Managing and Implementing Your Counter-Marketing Program 145 
Agencies come in all shapes and sizes. Most 

large communication firms offer a range of 

advertising and PR services. These services usually include strategic planning, market research, 

creative development, advertising and materials 

production, media planning, purchasing of 

media time, and tracking media placement. 

Other firms focus on a single area. Some firms 

specialize in advertising only or PR only or in 

advertising for specific audiences (e.g., African 

Americans, Asian Americans, or youth). Some 

firms focus on communication and marketing, 

others specialize in policy or advocacy, and still 

others specialize in planning events. 

There are no hard and fast rules for what type 

of firm to hire. Most states contract with a lead 

ad agency that then subcontracts with agencies specializing in PR, planning events, or 

communication with specific populations. 

California has separate contracts for advertising and PR, so the state can work directly with 

its PR agency when time is limited (e.g., when 

a quick response is needed). If your state has a 

very heated political climate or you anticipate 

frequent attacks from the tobacco industry, 

consider having a separate PR contract. In a 

charged environment, maintaining the right 

dialogue on the public airwaves in a timely 

manner may be one of the most important 

things you do. 

Communication firms usually perform the 

following functions: 

■	 Develop creative approaches to achieve 

your objectives 

■	 Recommend the type(s) of media vehicles for your messages and target audience(s) 

■	 Identify requirements for media placement to reach your target audience(s) 

■	 Arrange opportunities for news coverage 

of your messages, your program, or both 

■	 Organize community-based activities to 

promote your message 

■	 Develop relationships with community 

stakeholders 

Running a media campaign can be intimidating for those with 

public health backgrounds. Don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions. 

Agencies will always be better staffed and move faster than the health 

department, so be prepared to take control and slow down the process 

until you understand all the concepts and are comfortable with 

moving forward. 

—	 Sandi Hammond, Tobacco Control Program 

Massachusetts Department of Public Health 

146 Chapter 6: Managing and Implementing Your Counter-Marketing Program 
Designing and Implementing an Effective Tobacco Counter-Marketing Campaign 

Although communication agencies bring 

specific expertise and create many of the 

campaign elements, your program staff should 

be closely involved and provide direction to 

the agencies. In general, you should work with 

them to develop the counter-marketing plan, 

then review their work to make sure it meets 

your objectives and stays on course. “Without 

ongoing direction and involvement of program 

staff,” says one state health department manager, “even the best agencies can stray or could 

end up with clever creative [advertising concepts] that has little likelihood of efficacy.” 

Evaluation Companies and 

Consultants 

An evaluation contractor will help you to 

measure your program’s effectiveness. You can 

hire specialists who evaluate public health 

communications, a private company that specializes in marketing and advertising research 

and evaluation, a university-based group that 

is experienced in media evaluation, or a combination of such companies and consultants. 

Duties involved in evaluation include: 

■	 Identifying key measures on the basis of 

your communication objectives 

■	 Determining the baseline, process, 

and outcome information needed to 

measure the impact of your activities 

■	 Preparing an evaluation plan and 

budget for the counter-marketing effort 

■	 Conducting appropriate research 

before, during, and after your program 

is launched 

■	 Developing reports on the research that 

clearly present the data, findings, and 

conclusions 

Don’t wait until the last minute to include the 

evaluation team! Engage evaluators in the 

planning and implementation of the program 

from the beginning. They can help you to 

determine and define your program objectives, which you can measure and report to 

state officials and other stakeholders. Plus, 

they can help to ensure that baseline data are 

gathered before your program is launched, so 

you don’t miss a valuable opportunity to gauge 

the effect of your program. (See Chapter 5: 

Evaluating the Success of Your CounterMarketing Program for more information.) 

Stakeholders, Gatekeepers, and Local 

Programs 

Stakeholders are people and organizations that 

have an interest (stake) in your program’s success. For example, local groups representing 

the African-American community will be 

interested in campaigns that target African 

Americans. Gatekeepers are individuals or 

organizations that can help you to reach target 

audiences with your program messages. Sometimes overlap exists between stakeholders and 

gatekeepers. Local programs are tobacco control efforts that focus on a specific county, city, 

or region of your state. State programs can’t 

and shouldn’t be developed in a vacuum, so it’s 

essential that you address and involve these 

three important audiences from the start. 

Community organizations, voluntary organizations (e.g., the American Cancer Society, the 

Chapter 6: Managing and Implementing Your Counter-Marketing Program 147 
American Lung Association, and the American 

Heart Association), religious institutions, parent groups, businesses, and other groups can 

be instrumental in supporting your program 

and promoting the tobacco control messages. 

Community groups and local programs can 

work on counter-marketing activities by: 

■	 Carrying and publicizing the program 

messages to constituents 

■	 Developing programs that tie directly 

into your messages 

■	 Cosponsoring community programs 

■	 Speaking on behalf of the program 

■	 Supporting local legislation and policies 

that contribute to reducing tobacco use 

■	 Advocating for and protecting the program and its goals 

Counter-marketing programs are often highly 

visible and can be controversial. They can stir 

up negative publicity or comments from constituents in the state. Involving key stakeholders in your program’s development will help 

you to identify controversial issues up front 

and gain the stakeholders’ support. For example, you should solicit input from individuals 

representing targeted communities before, 

during, and after the program is launched (see 

Chapter 4: Reaching Specific Populations for 

more information). 

One of the best ways to involve stakeholders is 

to set up an informal steering or advisory committee for your effort and include key members 

from stakeholder groups, as well as members 

of your target audience. This approach institutionalizes the involvement of stakeholders and 

gives you something concrete to point to as an 

example of your inclusiveness. Have this group 

review plans, concepts, and draft materials. 

Listen carefully to their input. You won’t always 

be able to incorporate everyone’s suggestions, 

but you should understand their perspectives 

and what is most important to them. In many 

states, the media campaign fuels controversy. 

Having stakeholders and members of the 

target audience on board from the beginning 

gives you a source of spokespeople to defend 

the campaign. 

Keep community leaders and local programs 

involved in your program. Everyone likes to be 

involved in a successful program effort. Many 

programs have a newsletter, Web site, or e-mail 

distribution list that keeps stakeholders and 

gatekeepers informed of the program’s 

progress and successes. If you’re reporting 

results that demonstrate progress, such as 

survey results that show your campaign has 

helped reduce smoking, involve the appropriate stakeholders in the announcement of these 

results. If your program receives negative 

press, keep stakeholders and gatekeepers 

informed, so they won’t be surprised or caught 

off guard; seek their help and support when 

needed. For example, if a state’s quitline 

service comes under attack, the state may ask 

a partner who has experience with smoking 

cessation issues, such as the local branch of 

the American Cancer Society or the American 

Lung Association, to comment on the necessity 

and efficacy of the quitline. 

148 Chapter 6: Managing and Implementing Your Counter-Marketing Program 
Designing and Implementing an Effective Tobacco Counter-Marketing Campaign 

Look for specific opportunities for stakeholders to get involved in your program. For example, you may help a local radio station develop 

a day of radio programming about quitting 

smoking. When a local company goes smokefree, you can help the company get media 

attention for its effort. When there’s an important tobacco control message, such as the 

release of a Surgeon General’s report, create 

press materials independently or augment 

press materials from the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention (CDC), so the stakeholders can use them to help you publicize the 

information. Invite stakeholders to participate 

in community events, award ceremonies, and 

other campaign-related events. Stakeholders 

can advance policy issues and legislation related to tobacco control, a role not normally 

available for state staff. Supportive media gatekeepers can work with you or your agencies to 

develop special programming, newspaper 

inserts, or community events with media 

tie-ins. 

Your communication agencies may think that 

working with stakeholders is a burden, 

because many of them are used to working 

with commercial clients who have few stakeholders. Although agencies often focus on 

expediency, it’s important for you to explain 

the value of working with stakeholders and to 

specifically outline to your agency how stakeholders will be involved. 

Steps for Selecting an Agency 

To hire an agency, you need to: 

■	 Outline the specific work you want 

the contractor to do. Don’t be too 

prescriptive in the request for proposals (RFP), but do be clear about 

the overall goal(s) and the campaign’s 

specific objectives. Allow the agencies 

to respond creatively. 

■	 Issue an RFP for the work. 

■	 Organize a group of knowledgeable 

reviewers from within and outside 

your organization. 

■	 Eliminate proposals that don’t meet 

the technical requirements specified 

in the RFP (e.g., deadline and format). 

■	 Work with your review group to 
 

evaluate the proposals.
 

■	 Compare cost proposals. 

■	 Invite and observe presentations
 

from finalists.
 

■	 Check finalists’ references. 

■	 Select the firm that appears to be the 

most capable and to offer the most 

value for its fees. 

■	 Inform other agencies that they didn’t 

win the contract. 

■	 Sign a contract. 

■	 Begin briefing meetings with the
 

agency.
 

Chapter 6: Managing and Implementing Your Counter-Marketing Program 149 
Selecting Contractors 

Once you determine the configuration of the counter-marketing team, 

you’ll start the formal process of 

hiring contractors. This section provides you with guidelines for this 

process. (See Chapter 7: Advertising 

and Chapter 8: Public Relations for 

more information about working 

with contractors.) 

Beginning to work with a contractor 

is like beginning any relationship. 

Relationships require trust, respect, and an 

understanding of each participant’s strengths 

and weaknesses. In this relationship, you bring 

to the table your technical expertise on content, your political acuity, and your understanding of the sometimes complex government approval process. The communication 

firms offer creative approaches to the message, 

expertise in how to develop effective communication pieces, and knowledge of the media 

needed to reach your audience(s). The evaluation contractor provides the technical knowhow to assess how successful your messages 

and initiatives have been in reaching the target 

audiences and what the effects of those interventions have been. 

The focus here is on communication and evaluation firms, but the advice can apply to hiring 

any private company. 

Before the Bidding Process 

Don’t rush into issuing an RFP. Take some time to: 

■	 Learn what your budget can buy in 

your state. Media and production costs 

vary in each state. Find out what it 

should cost to reach your audience(s) in 

your state. One approach is to talk to the 

manager of another state-funded media 

campaign in your state (e.g., the lottery 

or tourism). Your state may have a commercial campaign you can examine, too. 

You should also look at other states’ 

tobacco counter-marketing efforts to see 

what they received for the money they 

spent. Find out what they spent per 

capita and in total, so you can make an 

accurate comparison with what you 

plan to spend. 

■	 Look at what has been done by other 

programs in your state. Learn how 

other state programs selected an agency; 

again, the lottery and tourism programs 

may be a good place to start. State 

media campaigns can be valuable 

sources of government information, 

advice, and insights into your state’s 

approval process. 

■	 Explore approaches used in other states. 

Examine RFPs for media contractors in 

150 Chapter 6: Managing and Implementing Your Counter-Marketing Program 
Designing and Implementing an Effective Tobacco Counter-Marketing Campaign 

other states and the contracts awarded. 

The State Information Forum, a Web site 

operated by CDC’s Office on Smoking 

and Health, is a source of information, 

resources, and other materials for state 

tobacco control programs. Many state 

RFPs are available online on the State 

Infor-mation Forum, at 

http://.ntcp.forum.cdc.gov. This Web 

site is password protected, so you’ll 

need to contact CDC/OSH’s Health 

Communications Branch to gain 

access if you’re not a current user. 

■	 Learn the ins and outs of your state’s 

contracting rules. Find someone in 

your state financial or contracting office 

to guide you through the state’s contracting procedures and to help you 

develop language for an RFP. A good 

way to start is by reviewing media RFPs 

from other organizations in your state. 

(See Appendix 6.1: Key Elements of a 

Request for Proposals for a Media 

Campaign for a description of common 

items included in many state tobacco 

control program RFPs.) Make sure that 

you understand the RFP and that your 

contracting office has reviewed the 

process for your RFP. You should be 

comfortable with the wording of the 

RFP and the deliverables it describes. 

Decide whether to ask for “speculative 

creative” (sample materials that a firm 

provides before a contract is awarded) 

as part of the proposal. If you make this 

request, you must include language in 

the RFP indicating that the state retains 

ownership of any creative materials 

presented during the bidding process. 

This language will protect you from legal 

action by a firm that isn’t awarded the 

contract and may have presented creative similar to that of the winning firm. 

■	 Decide on the configuration of firms 

for your program. Do you want one 

all-purpose agency that can give you a 

range of communication services or a 

set of specialized firms that work together as a team? Do you have the staff to 

oversee contracts with more than one 

firm, such as separate advertising and 

PR companies? 

■	 Avoid firms that work with tobacco 

companies. Just as Coca-Cola doesn’t 

hire firms that work for Pepsi, you 

shouldn’t hire firms that work for the 

competition. This recommendation has 

become more complicated with the 

recent trend toward acquisitions and 

mergers. Many agencies that don’t work 

with the tobacco industry have been 

bought by conglomerates that may own 

other firms with tobacco accounts. At a 

minimum, the agency you hire should 

have no direct connections with the 

tobacco industry or its affiliates (e.g., 

Kraft, which is owned by Altria, formerly 

called Philip Morris). You’ll have to consider the advantages and disadvantages 

of hiring a firm that does no tobacco 

work but has sister agencies that do. 

Adweek, an advertising industry publication, publishes a directory of ad firms 

that lists their clients and affiliation with 

advertising conglomerates and holding 

Chapter 6: Managing and Implementing Your Counter-Marketing Program 151 
companies. You should require that all 

bidding agencies disclose any connection, direct or indirect, with the tobacco 

industry or its partner companies, so 

you can consider that information in 

selecting an agency. If an agency you 

may want to use has such a connection, 

ask the bidder to submit a plan for providing a fire wall between your program 

and any potential conflicts of interest. 

■ Recruit a diverse review committee. 

The members of your review committee 

should have a wide range of expertise 

and backgrounds, including experience 

with health issues and the communication techniques you plan to use in your 

program (e.g., advertising, public relations, and media advocacy). Check your 

state’s restrictions about using out-ofstate reviewers. 

During the Bidding Process 

Most contracting rules limit your ability to 

com-municate directly with firms bidding on 

your proposal. Nonetheless, the review process 

gives you opportunities to learn about the firms. 

As you review proposals and listen to bids from 

each firm, keep these questions in mind: 

■	 How strategic and thoughtful are the 

decisions the firm makes and the work it 

produces? 

■	 How creative is the firm? 

■	 Does the firm describe how it would 

approach the subject of tobacco, and, if 

so, do you like what you hear? 

■	 Does the firm have experience working 

with community groups? 

■	 Does the firm have experience with your 

target audience(s)? 

■	 Does the firm have experience with 

tobacco control, social marketing, or 

other health-related work? If not, you 

don’t necessarily have to rule it out; it 

would be much easier for you to teach 

the firm’s staff about tobacco control 

than to teach them about developing 

and placing ads! 

■	 Do the firm’s references and samples 

give you insights into the quality of the 

work and skills of the staff assigned to 

your account? 

■	 Does the firm have a track record of 

developing campaigns that have generated measurable results? Ask for examples. 

■	 Has the firm bought media in every 

market in your state? Does it have experience in evaluating and buying a wide 

variety of media? 

■	 Is the team proposed by the firm a mix 

of senior, midlevel, and junior staff? 

■	 What is the experience of the primary 

staff to be assigned to your account? 

■	 Are support staff in specific functional 

areas (e.g., market research or media 

buying) assigned to work on your project for a sufficient percentage of their 

time? 

152 Chapter 6: Managing and Implementing Your Counter-Marketing Program 
Designing and Implementing an Effective Tobacco Counter-Marketing Campaign 

■ 	 Do you think you can work comfortably 

with the staff proposed for the project?	 

■	 Does the firm have the number of staff 

and appropriate facilities to do the work? 

■	 Do staff of the firm have experience in 

negotiating for bonus airings or add-ons 

as part of a media buy? 

(For more information on the RFP process, see 

Appendix 6.1: Key Elements of a Request for 

Proposals for a Media Campaign and Appendix 

6.2: Questions and Answers on RFPs.) 

Once You’ve Selected a Firm 

Develop a team relationship with the firm that 

is awarded the contract. Work closely with the 

staff as individuals, and get to know them. 

Avoid thinking of them as the “suppliers” who 

simply deliver the goods to you; instead, think 

of them as an extension of your staff or as your 

equal partners. The better the relationship, the 

easier it will be to work through issues on 

which you may not agree. 

Teach the agency what it needs to know about 

effective tobacco counter-marketing messages. 

There’s a wealth of television, radio, outdoor, 

and print materials on tobacco control. 

Sharing those materials with them may help to 

inspire creative ideas or identify materials 

from other states that can be reapplied or 

adapted for use in your state. Although most 

agencies prefer to create original ads tailored 

specifically for the state, many states have 

combined new ads with available ads proven 

effective in other states. Ask the firm’s staff to 

become familiar with the advertising materials 

Tips for Selecting an Agency to Reach Specific Populations 

If you decide to hire a firm to reach specific populations, choose one that offers: 

■	 Experience in working on communication campaigns 

■	 Examples of past communication work that an independent evaluation has shown to be 


successful 


■	 References from clients for whom the firm has done similar work 

■	 Adequate staff and facilities to do the work 

■	 Experience in developing effective, culturally appropriate material 

■	 Strong ties to the community 

Don’t pick a firm simply because its staff includes members of a specific population; choose a firm 

because of the merits of its work. At the same time, recognize the role that members of a specific 

population can play in a firm’s ability to be culturally competent and culturally appropriate. 

(See Chapter 4: Reaching Specific Populations for more information.) 

Chapter 6: Managing and Implementing Your Counter-Marketing Program 153 
Tips for Selecting an Evaluation Contractor 

Choose an evaluation contractor that demonstrates: 

■	 Experience in evaluating tobacco control programs, health communication campaigns, or both 

■	 Ability to work with a wide variety of stakeholders, including representatives of populations 

affected most by tobacco use 

■	 Innovative approaches to evaluation, coupled with consideration of budget limitations and 

other program realities 

■	 Skills that complement those of the in-house evaluation team and that increase the evaluation 

capacity of that team 

■	 Regular sharing of raw data, preliminary results, and full findings with the program staff 

■	 Cultural competency in conducting evaluations among various racial and ethnic groups 

■	 Expertise you need and can afford 

Hire your evaluation staff early in the process and involve them from the start. Don’t wait until the campaign is about to be launched. The evaluation of your efforts must be seen as independent and objective, so 

it’s important to hire a separate evaluation firm, instead of having your ad agency subcontract with one. 

in CDC’s Media Campaign Resource Center 

(MCRC), available online at 

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/mcrc. The MCRC 

Web site offers an online database of materials 

the communication firm can review. In addition, involving the agency’s staff in strategic 

planning meetings, focus groups, community 

meetings, and other activities will help them to 

develop an in-depth understanding of the 

important issues. You should establish a clear 

process for review and approval. Mistakes can 

be costly to fix. Pay careful attention to the 

visuals and words in all communication 

pieces, the results of market research, and the 

internal and external comments about the ads. 

Restrain yourself from becoming the creative 

director. You pay the firm to fill that role. Avoid 

giving prescriptive instructions about what to 

change. For example, don’t make detailed suggestions about a proposed ad, by saying to the 

firm: “If you could just make this woman who 

stopped smoking look happier, and maybe you 

could have her whole family standing around 

her looking happy, too, and...” A better 

approach is to offer the agency feedback about 

what you’d like to change conceptually, and let 

their staff explore the specific creative alternatives. When you comment about the work the 

firm submits, focus on goals. For example, tell 

the agency: “The goal would be to make this 

154 Chapter 6: Managing and Implementing Your Counter-Marketing Program 
Designing and Implementing an Effective Tobacco Counter-Marketing Campaign 

ad focus more on the positives of quitting 

smoking, instead of the negatives of previous 

failed attempts.” 

Developing an Annual 

Marketing Plan 

Once you’ve assembled your program staff, 

hired contractors, and gone through the 

planning process (see Chapter 2: Planning 

Your Counter-Marketing Program for more 

information on planning process), you’ll 

need to develop a marketing plan. This plan 

will be the blueprint for implementing your 

counter-marketing tasks and activities. It 

should list the specific tasks, staff, time frame, 

and budget needs for each objective developed during the planning phase. The plan 

should encompass all the components you’re 

using (e.g., advertising, PR, media advocacy, 

grassroots initiatives, and media literacy activities), and its timeline should allow sufficient 

time for technical review and approval. This 

marketing plan can be used to monitor program activities, and you may need to update it 

as you conduct the process evaluation 

throughout the year. (See Appendix 2.1: 

Counter-Marketing Planning Worksheet for 

guidance in developing a marketing plan.) 

You may be tempted to skip the development 

of a marketing plan, but doing so will cause 

you to be reactive instead of proactive in working with your communication agencies, your 

target audience(s), and your management. 

This plan is an important tool for keeping 

everyone focused on how your goals will be 

accomplished. By developing a marketing 

plan, you’ll ensure that your agency doesn’t 

lead the campaign in a direction different from 

the one you intended. Providing a yearly marketing plan will also help the agency to know 

what to expect well in advance, so the staff can 

manage your account effectively. 

Reviewing Marketing Materials 

One of the key functions of the program staff 

will be to review the marketing materials created by the communication firm(s). You’ll be 

responsible for reviewing these materials in 

three key areas: strategy, accuracy of technical 

content, and cultural appropriateness. 

Keeping Materials on Strategy 

Ad agencies pride themselves on their creativity because creative ads get noticed, are entertaining, and can influence behavior. But just 

because an ad is entertaining doesn’t mean it’s 

on strategy. For each key marketing piece, you 

and your agency should develop a creative 

brief. Use this creative brief to review each ad 

or communication piece to ensure that it’s on 

target. 

Ensuring Accurate Technical Content 

Communication materials have to be on strategy, but they also have to be accurate. Any factual errors will undermine the credibility of your 

efforts and make your program vulnerable to 

criticism. Here are some ways to keep your 

communication work consistently accurate: 

■	 Provide your agency with the most 

current tobacco-related data, and keep 

agency staff informed by promptly 

forwarding new data to them. 

Chapter 6: Managing and Implementing Your Counter-Marketing Program 155 
What Is a Creative Brief? 

For almost any work with a communication agency, you’ll need a creative brief (communication brief). This document spells out: 

■	 The specific assignment—the product the agency is being asked to develop 

■	 The goal of the communication piece(s) 

■	 The main message(s) 

■	 Demographic, psychographic, and other information about the audience 

■	 Key insights about the audience that should be considered during development of
 

the communication piece(s)
 

■	 The audience’s perceived barriers to the desired behavior change 

■	 Benefits the audience might receive from the behavior change 

■	 Actions you want the target audience to take 

The creative brief is typically drafted by the agency account team, but the health department 

staff can initiate it or provide input to it. It gives the agency creative team the basic message 

for each creative product and clarifies what the agency is being asked to do. Once the product is completed, everyone involved can refer to the creative brief to make sure the product 

meets the criteria in the brief. (See Appendix 6.3: Elements of a Creative Brief and 

Appendices 6.4, 6.5, and 6.6 for sample creative briefs.) 

■	 Require the firm to provide documentation for all statements, facts, and figures 

that appear in the materials and ads it 

presents, even if you provided the original data. Always use the original source 

to substantiate data. Quotes from newspaper reports about study results may 

not accurately reflect the true findings. 

■	 

asked to back up the information in ads, 

sometimes months or even years after 

the ads were placed or aired. 

Maintain an easily accessible file of the 

ad scripts and corresponding substantiation. Program managers are often 

■	 Identify technical experts within your 

department who can sign off on the 

technical content in ads and other 

communication materials. 

■	 Develop a review and approval process 

that includes all of the key decision 

makers but doesn’t delay ad production 

longer than necessary. 

156 Chapter 6: Managing and Implementing Your Counter-Marketing Program 
Designing and Implementing an Effective Tobacco Counter-Marketing Campaign 

Producing Culturally Appropriate 

Materials 

Communication materials must be culturally 

appropriate for your target audience(s). A critical step is to share the draft materials with 

members of the target audience early in the 

development process and before work on the 

materials is completed. You should also assess 

how the materials will be received by the larger 

community. For example, some ads designed 

for rebellious youth may be considered irreverent and disrespectful by adults. The state may 

still decide to use the ads but may choose to 

tightly control media placement to limit the 

number of adults exposed to them. 

If stakeholders and members of your target 

community are on an advisory or steering 

committee for your program, you may be able 

to use their input to assess the cultural appropriateness of your materials. To help assess 

their impact on the larger community, especially if you think your messages may offend 

certain groups, you may need to be proactive 

in meeting with the community to explain the 

materials and your approach. This move will 

help to defuse potential criticism of your 

campaign and build relationships with stakeholders. For example, with its “Making Blacks 

History” campaign, the American Legacy 

Foundation met with the NAACP (National 

Association for the Advancement of Colored 

People), the National Urban League, the 

National Black Nurses Association, and other 

groups to explain the strategy of the campaign 

and get their reaction. By sharing these ads 

before they hit the airwaves, Legacy was 

reassured that the ads wouldn’t be controversial because of the “Making Blacks History” 

phrase. (See Chapter 4: Reaching Specific 

Populations for more information on designing culturally appropriate materials.) 

Monitoring the Counter-Marketing 

Budget 

Managing the fiscal component of a program 

can be intimidating. Most people hired to 

manage public health communication campaigns aren’t financial managers and don’t 

have much experience with media buying, 

production costs, talent fees, and the range of 

expenses related to communication programs. 

These tips can help you to develop a realistic 

budget: 

■	 According to CDC’s Best Practices for 

Comprehensive Tobacco Control 

Programs, published in 1999, state 

tobacco control programs should 

allocate $1 to $3 per capita per year to 

counter-marketing programs. Although 

this amount is the minimum goal for 

most states, few states have been able to 

maintain this level of funding. 

■	 Look at budgets for other statewide 

efforts, such as lottery campaigns, travel 

and tourism, or promotion of agricultural products (e.g., citrus fruit in Florida). 

These programs can give you ballpark 

estimates on costs for media campaigns. 

■	 Find out what other states have spent 

on tobacco counter-marketing programs and determine whether any of 

the states have per capita and total 

Chapter 6: Managing and Implementing Your Counter-Marketing Program 157 
budgets similar to yours. Learn how 

those funds were allocated, and ask the 

program managers what they would do 

differently if they could spend the funds 

again. 

■	 Consider hiring a compensation consultant to help you negotiate your agencies’ budgets. This consultant can help 

you to determine the appropriate profit 

margin for the agency and assist you in 

understanding how agencies bill for 

their work. 

■	 Determine the amount(s) you can afford 

to spend and the best approach for allocating funds in your particular budget. If 

your budget is small, you may consider a 

greater mix of PR, media advocacy, 

media literacy, and grassroots communications rather than a paid media 

campaign. You can conduct innovative 

and effective media efforts without 

expensive ads. 

■	 Conduct a media audit of your advertising media buys to ensure that you’re 

getting your money’s worth. If you have 

limited resources, you may want to 

conduct a partial audit, from a specific 

ad flight, to get a snapshot of the quality 

of your media buy. Because much of 

your budget may go to paid media, you 

need to ensure that the funds are spent 

appropriately. 

Variables that affect a communication budget 

include the following: 

■	 Cost of buying media in your state 

■	 Amount and level of ad production (e.g., 

number of ads produced or reapplied 

and complexity of ads produced) 

■	 Number and choice of media outlets 

■	 Intensity and duration of campaign 

■	 Use of existing versus original advertising 

■	 Single focus versus multiple focuses 

(e.g., number of overall goals and 

number of target audiences) 

■	 Number of events and activities (e.g., PR, 

grassroots and media advocacy) 

■	 Communication in English only, other 

language, or both 

Here are some rules of thumb for managing 

the budget of a counter-marketing program: 

■	 Regardless of the size of the budget, 

remember that you’re spending taxpayers’ money. Be sure that your spending 

decisions are well informed and that 

every initiative is focused on the program’s goals and objectives. Select initiatives that are most likely to contribute 

to your program’s progress in a costeffective way. 

158 Chapter 6: Managing and Implementing Your Counter-Marketing Program 
Designing and Implementing an Effective Tobacco Counter-Marketing Campaign 

■	 Obtain estimates, so you know how 

much a project will cost before you start. 

■	 Approve all costs before any work begins 

and money is spent. 

■	 Review monthly expenditures carefully. 

Track expenses for each product, as 

well as the overall counter-marketing 

budget. A number of financial tracking 

systems are available to help you monitor expenses and project monthly 

expenditures. You may want to ask 

managers of other state campaigns (e.g., 

the lottery or tourism) about the procedures and tracking systems they use. 

■	 If any products must be changed, tell 

staff and consultants that you must discuss and approve any additional costs in 

advance. 

■	 Hold monthly budget meetings with 

contractors and staff to keep your 

expenses on track. 

■	 Include evaluation costs in the overall 

campaign budget, unless they are 

included in another part of the tobacco 

control budget. 

■	 Buy the rights to creative materials (e.g., 

photos and ads), whenever possible, so 

they can be reused by you or others. 

■	 Ask questions at each step to better 

understand what you’re buying and 

what your options are. Keep asking 

questions until you understand all 

aspects of media production and 

placement. 

Chapter 6: Managing and Implementing Your Counter-Marketing Program 159 
160 Chapter 6: Managing and Implementing Your Counter-Marketing Program 

Points To Remember 

■	 Don’t skip the development of the marketing plan. Creating this blueprint will force you and your 

contractors to outline the specific tasks needed to reach your goals and objectives and to have all 

key decision makers agree. It will be a valuable tool in tracking your progress and monitoring the 

performance of your team and contractors. An approved marketing plan will also help you to stay 

on track when outside groups try to influence the direction of your program. 

■	 Track every penny spent. You should be able to report to government officials and other funders 

what your specific activities cost and what you delivered for those costs. Closely monitoring the 

budget will help you to determine which activities were cost-effective and which were not. It will 

also provide you with benchmark costs for your program in future years. 

■	 Never let anything go out the door without reviewing it. Because of the multiple reviews during the 

development process, you may be tempted to simply scan a product before it’s finalized, but make 

sure you give it one last, thorough review. You need to be certain that the material is on strategy, has 

no technical errors, is culturally competent, and reflects the program’s position. Determine your review process up front for each type of product (e.g., ads and press releases), and follow it to the letter. 

■	 Make stakeholders and local programs your partners. Involving stakeholders in the development of 

your campaign is vital. This move will develop strong relationships with stakeholders, will build 

support for your program, and may help you to identify potential criticisms of your program and be 

prepared to address them proactively. On the other hand, don’t feel that you have to incorporate 

every comment by every stakeholder. Consider all comments and feedback, but keep your campaign on target. 

■	 Keep your eye on your goal at all times. Implementing an integrated, multifaceted program isn’t 

easy. You may be getting input from the governor’s staff, stakeholders, various contractors, and your 

own staff. There’s a lot to consider and sort through, but no matter how exciting an ad or activity 

may seem or how much a key person or group pushes for something, if it doesn’t support your 

overall goal, don’t pursue it. 
Designing and Implementing an Effective Tobacco Counter-Marketing Campaign 

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(12 Suppl):2752–4. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs— 

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on Smoking and Health, 1999. 

Miller A. Designing an effective counteradvertising campaign—Massachusetts. Cancer 1998;83 

(12 Suppl):2742–5. 

Reister T, Linton M. Designing an effective counteradvertising campaign—Arizona. Cancer 1998;83 

(12 Suppl):2746–51. 

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